Traditonis Custodes states that "[i[t belongs to the diocesan bishop, as moderator, promoter, and guardian of the whole liturgical life of the particular Church entrusted to him, to regulate the liturgical celebrations of his diocese. Therefore, it is his exclusive competence to authorize the use of the 1962 Roman Missal in his diocese, according to the guidelines of the Apostolic See."
Nonetheless, in defiance of the letter of Traditionis, the Vatican has been conducting an extraordinary backroom pressure campaign to force bishops-- particularly American bishops-- to cancel thriving Latin Masses, or else move them to unsuitable areas like gymnasiums and parish halls. This Vatican micromanagement of individual diocesan liturgical practices is extraordinary. Of course, it is not matched by any sort of crackdown on lay baptisms and preaching, unauthorized blessings of illicit relationships, and other glaring liturgical abuses across the wider Church.
As Crisis has reported,
The latest development in the ongoing saga [over Traditionis Custodes] is the result of the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez, and the Bishop of Orange, Kevin Vann, being taken in for questioning by the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Christophe Pierre, as to their alleged non-compliance with TC. The result of that particular trip to Berchtesgaden was that, in Orange County, the venerable Tridentine Mass at St. Mary’s by the Sea, which quite literally saved the parish’s life when it was brought in, is to be suppressed. In Los Angeles, the torture is a bit more exquisite. There, wherever parishes have integrated the TLM into their regular lives, said Masses are to be moved to the gyms.
In other words, the papal nuncio, Christophe Pierre is currently strongarming unwilling American bishops to cancel thriving Latin Masses by backroom pressure tactics. In doing so, Pierre is participating in destroying and splitting apart thriving Catholic communities. Pierre's use of such tactics to shut down Latin Masses across the Diocese of Arlington and the Archdiocese of Washington is notorious. It was for that reason that we organized the Rosary Rallies in front of the Nunciature. Disturbingly, Pierre was recently awarded with a Cardinal's red hat for his participation in this spiritual abuse of faithful Catholics.
Catholics who wish to make reparation for the scandalous situation of the Vatican shutting down thriving parish Latin Masses across the United States may wish to pray with us this Saturday- and each Saturday- outside the Papal Nunciature in Washington, D.C. at 9 AM.
